Due to metal shortages for the war effort during World War Two, GEC ran this advert in the Illustrated London News reminding people why the modern “electric toaster” was no longer available. But worry not – for once the war…
A boon to weak men; A blessing to delicate women; It restores impaired vitality – It cures Hysteria. It has cured thousands of sufferers. Available from 52 Oxford St., London (which now seems to be a travel agents). Another advert…
The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen) is an award winning 2006 film about the Stasi in East Germany, yet the lessons from the film has striking parallels with Great Britain in 2009. Here subtitles are added to the…
The Victoria & Albert Museum have just sent out their May highlights email which headlines with: Celebrate Baroque and win a trip to Mexico I suspect the number of entries to be low, and hence my chance of winning to…
The Shard, a super-tall skyscraper which will start rising up over London will be very visible from my flat when finished – to the point of being the dominant item on the skyline. I have wanted for some time to…
If you are scared of spiders, then London Zoo is running a series of courses for phobics to help us you overcome such fears. Whilst I am not afraid of the eight-legged monsters, I don’t particularly like them and particularly…
I have a small hobby of collecting old copies of the Illustrated London News – a venerable newspaper which was first published n 1842. I acquired a few more copies last week and scanning through the collection this weekend, came…
Just a heads up that Walk London will be running another of their weekends of free guided walks and rambles occurring at the end of May. Most are just turn up on the day – but worth mentioning the event…
One of my favourite annual events, the London Open House Weekend, has confirmed the dates for 2009 – and I am now marking the weekend of 19th-20th September as unavailable for anything else. I usually buy the Event Programme as…
One hundred and fifty years ago this very day, London’s first free public water fountain that guaranteed clean drinking water was unveiled to much applause. Somewhat less than 150 years ago, I wrote about it – so rather than recaping…
For the super-rich, Bonhams are holding an auction on Monday of vintage cars. For the less-rich, the cars also happen to be on display prior to the sale for everyone to peer at. Being definitely a member of the less-rich…
A long time ago, when Croydon was less a collection of indifferent office blocks and more green, it was also one of the more important residences of the Archbishop of Canterbury. A large – by the standards of the day…
A few months ago it was announced to those who track such things, that the aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious would be spending a week in London in May as part of the 100th anniversary of the Navy’s air division. They…
A note about an event that needs booking tickets for as the British Library is hosting a special preview screening of the first episode of series 3 of the TV series, The Tudors. This season sees Henry VIII increasingly in…
An old leather chair, Morris Men and Easter eggs – that is what I saw this afternoon as the Blackheath Morris Men continued their 20-year long tradition of Easter Chair Heaving. It is thought to be an old tradition which…
